In both settings, most of the time, high-quality prospects will be candidates for major and planned giving. The difference rests with how each nonprofit defines major and planned giving within the scope of their organization.

This article will illuminate three key markers of high-quality major giving candidates.

Real estate ownership is a critical indicator to assess for two reasons:

High-net-worth individuals can often be flagged by their real estate ownership. It will give your organization some estimate to work from when designing a major gift ask strategy.

Real estate ownership actually corresponds with a higher likelihood of giving. A prospect who owns over $2 million in property is 17 times more likely to make a charitable contribution than another prospect is.

The trick to using wealth markers is to know their predictive capabilities and know their limits. Having the financial means to make a large donation does not guarantee that the gift will be made. A prospect’s ability to give must line up with a willingness to give.

#3: Political Giving

Like real estate ownership, political giving is an indicator that serves a dual purpose:

If someone has donated a large sum of money to a political campaign, that person clearly has the financial means to be a major donor.

When someone makes a political contribution, that person is taking action and allocating a gift to a cause they believe in. You need prospects who are willing to do the same for your organization. As long as your mission matches their interests, you have a better chance than with just any random prospect.

Someone who has given a lifetime total of $2,500+ to federal political campaigns is 14 times more likely to give charitably than the average prospect is. You can’t ignore correlations like that!

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Whether you are hosting a new fundraiser and want to be able to identify the highest quality prospects in attendance or you are getting ready to ramp up your year-end efforts, screen your candidates for characteristics such as these and find the donors that best suit your needs.